World number one Aryna Sabalenka will face unseeded Yulia Putintseva in the third round of the Wuhan Open. This will be their second match, and Sabalenka is aiming for her first victory after losing their first confrontation five years ago.
Sabalenka returned to winning ways, starting with a 2-0 victory over Katerina Sinyakova. Before that, the Belarusian tennis player had a 15-match winning streak, she won three titles and was runner-up three times this season, including the Australian and US Open Championships. Her record in 2024 is 50 wins.
Yulia Putintseva, despite three consecutive defeats, won her last two matches, including a victory over 15th seed Donna Vekic. She scored 37-20 and returned to 32nd place in the live ranking.
The winner of the match will face Magda French, Beatrice Haddad Maya or Veronika Kudermetova in the quarterfinals.